Fragrance comparison

Dark Desire vs Ruby Wood

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 22 Oct 2026 108 ratings analysed

Dark Desire

Parfums d'Elmar

4.2158 votes

Rank #11,593 AmberPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

22%scent match

Clearly different

6 wins

Ruby Wood

Exaltatum

4.3650 votes

Rank #8,360 FruitySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Ruby Wood takes 6 of 8 categories.

Dark Desire
Choose it for a amber and powdery character. Wins on sillage & projection and note pyramid duration. Best in winter, evening wear.
Ruby Wood
Choose it for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.

Dark Desire2/8

Ruby Wood6/8

Ratings & consensus: Ruby Wood
Community sentiment: Ruby Wood
Longevity: Ruby Wood
Sillage & projection: Dark Desire
Value for money: Ruby Wood
Versatility: Ruby Wood
Note pyramid (duration): Dark Desire
Fragranxe ranking: Ruby Wood

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

Dark DesireParfums d'Elmar

Ruby WoodExaltatum

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.21/ 5 · 58 votes

Have 35%Had 8%Want 57%

4.36/ 5 · 50 votes

Have 22%Had 8%Want 70%

Category winnerRuby WoodRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

67%Love

10%Like

5%Ok

10%Dislike

7%Hate

58 votes

54%Love

34%Like

8%Ok

2%Dislike

2%Hate

50 votes

Category winnerRuby WoodMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity79

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity81

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate84

Category winners

LongevityRuby Wood

SillageDark Desire

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value31

¤ Price value42

Category winnerRuby WoodBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

powdery92%

fresh spicy84%

oud77%

woody69%

warm spicy61%

fruity100%

sweet92%

rose84%

aromatic77%

warm spicy69%

woody61%

Scent match22%Clearly different · both woody and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top15-30 mins

CarrotWormwoodOrange BlossomCardamomYellow Mandarin

Heart2-4 hrs

CuminVioletBulgarian RoseMyrrhCinnamon

Base8-12+ hrs

Agarwood (Oud)AmberOlibanumTonka BeanCivetPatchouliCastoreumVirginia Cedar

Top20-30 mins

Rose PetalsRed BerriesPink PepperCorianderTangerineCassisCardamom

Heart2-4 hrs

Bulgarian RoseRaspberryGeraniumOlibanumPatchouliIndian JasmineVioletCoffee

Base7-10 hrs

Agarwood (Oud)SandalwoodMuskMyrrhLabdanum

Category winnerDark DesireLongest dry-down: 8-12+ hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring68

Summer25

Fall0

Winter100

Day37

Night100

Spring65

Summer30

Fall100

Winter95

Day92

Night100

Category winnerRuby WoodMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men56

Unisex38

Women6

Date 39%Party 29%Casual 17%Work 15%

Men8

Unisex25

Women67

Date 35%Casual 25%Party 23%Work 18%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#11,593

PerfumerMark Buxton

Launched—

Reviews8

Overall rank#8,360

PerfumerEglija Vaitkevice

Launched—

Reviews13

Category winnerRuby WoodHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Dark Desire by Parfums d'Elmar hits the skin with immediate presence. A vivid burst of yellow mandarin, bitter wormwood, and earthy carrot root quickly cuts through the air. Within minutes, cardamom and warm cinnamon generate a dense, radiant heat. The heart reveals powdery violet petals paired with dark Bulgarian ros…

Reviews →

Ruby Wood by Exaltatum is an artisanal fragrance that pairs tart wild fruits with velvety floral notes and warm forest resins. The scent opens with a lively splash of red berries, tangy cassis, and crushed rose petals spiced with pink pepper and coriander. Within an hour, rich Bulgarian rose and ripe raspberry emerge …

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Dark Desire or Ruby Wood?

Ruby Wood takes 6 of 8 categories. Dark Desire is rated 4.21/5 from 58 votes; Ruby Wood is rated 4.36/5 from 50 votes. Choose Dark Desire for a amber and powdery character. Wins on sillage & projection and note pyramid duration. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Ruby Wood for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Dark Desire or Ruby Wood?

They last about the same: Ruby Wood 81/100, Dark Desire 79/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Dark Desire or Ruby Wood?

Projection is very close: Dark Desire 66/100, Ruby Wood 64/100 for sillage.

Do Dark Desire and Ruby Wood smell similar?

Clearly different: a 22% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Cardamom, Violet, Bulgarian Rose and Myrrh.

Is Dark Desire or Ruby Wood better for summer or winter?

For summer, Ruby Wood is the stronger pick. For winter, Dark Desire is the stronger pick. Dark Desire suits evening wear; Ruby Wood suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Dark Desire and Ruby Wood?

Dark Desire has top notes of Carrot, Wormwood, Orange Blossom and Cardamom, heart notes of Cumin, Violet, Bulgarian Rose and Myrrh, a base of Agarwood (Oud), Amber, Olibanum and Tonka Bean. Ruby Wood has top notes of Rose Petals, Red Berries, Pink Pepper and Coriander, heart notes of Bulgarian Rose, Raspberry, Geranium and Olibanum, a base of Agarwood (Oud), Sandalwood, Musk and Myrrh.